Could You Actually Travel With the Wrong Passport?

Sure, it's puzzling how a man flew from England and entered Spain with his girlfriend’s passport. But that doesn’t mean you can get away with carrying the wrong documents.

You may have already heard about Neil Clulow, a bald, goateed man who flew from Birmingham, UK to Alicante, Spain, with his blonde girlfriend’s passport. He was completely unaware of the mistake until he was in Spain and his friends began comparing passport photos. Much like the case I wrote about last year, when Jill W. flew from Oklahoma City to Italy with her expired passport, it’s difficult to understand how this can happen. Yes, we know someone wasn’t paying attention, but in both instances, they showed their passports more than once.

To add to the confusion, airlines and security personnel don’t allow passengers to fly if the name on their passport and ticket don't match up, and airlines usually charge fees to correct the errors. You also can’t transfer a ticket to someone else. This is why Jordan Axani did a Canada-wide search for a woman named Elizabeth Gallagher—he needed to find someone who could use the around-the-world ticket he originally purchased for his girlfriend, also named Elizabeth Gallagher.

What does this mean for you? First, personally, I don’t think there’s any reason to become an alarmist about the state of security at airports. Yes, some are worse than others and security protocols are less stringent in some countries. Still, I believe that security isn’t any worse today than it has been for the past 15 years, and is likely to be a bit better. No system is perfect and no person is flawless, but when there is a lapse in security, that means a problem was identified and potentially fixed. The fact remains, as I noted when discussing travel warnings, the possibility of being involved in a terrorist incident is incredibly small. Yes, it makes sense to take reasonable precautions, but don’t allow fear to stop you from traveling.

Second, don’t assume that Clulow’s story represents the norm. In fact, I’ve seen cases where passengers were denied boarding for ridiculously small infractions, such as a name with only one letter out of place. Chances are if you show up at the check-in counter or in the security line with the wrong documents, you won’t be taking your flight. Keep that in mind when you prepare for your trip. Review the U.S. State Department’s guidelines for your destination country, and also check the passport and visa requirements with the country’s own consulate or tourist information office. Next, plan to get to the airport early, which can help you to slow down and make sure you grab the correct documents. Take those steps and you should breeze through the airport, whether security is tight or lax, and you won’t end up stuck in your hotel for three days like Mr. Clulow, waiting for your passport to be delivered.

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